Workmen's advocate., 1887-06-04
HONEST AND DISHONEST
 CAPITAL.
BY DR. A. DOUAT.

The great writers of our party have nowhere and never denied that even nowadays Capital comes into existence through honest labor (work) and saving. Farmers, shop keepers, and even laborers may lay up few thousands of dollars Tn q long period of toll and self-denial and may capitalize them. In for mer times this process of capitaliza- ton was even more frequently met with.
 But as soon as such honestly ac- quired small capitals are being in- vested in the employment of labor at wages winch leave profits in the hands of employers, or are being loaned out at interest to workers, the dishonest acquisition of capital begins. Even then no moral re- proach is to be connected with proft-mongerlng, so long as faulty laws allow 1t, and as it remains with in narrow limits; the entire reproach then falls upon the dishonest laws and upon the general prejudcos pre- vaillng with regard to capital. The individual who acts upon the ideas of his time and within the limits of law cannot be held morally y respon- slble for their evil consequences, un- less he be personally cruel and inhu- mane.
 But Marx has proven that every honest y acquired capital in continu- ous circulation through employment and exploitation of laborers very soon ceases to be honest capital. Suppose the outlay of such an hon. estly acquired capital be $l0,0o0, and the merchandise sold by means of this outlay and the employment of labor be S2O, ,0O0, and the clear profit be S5, ,000. The original cap- ltal IS gone, and returns to its owner to the amount of Sl5, 1000. 8 The sec- ond re-lnvestment of this capital IS again gone, and returns to him at the same rate of profit to the amount of $22, 300, the third rc-investment brings S33, 15O. And so on and on. It IS evident that money cannot mul- t tiply itself. It does not increase in amount when lying in the safe, nor when spent for yictuals or luxurics. The increase comes from the labor of other folks, of exploited laborers. The original honest capital would be clear loss but for valuable labor of others properly spent and underpaid to the employees.
 He may be an intelligent and cau- tlous employer, and may have seen to 1t that all his Iaborers worked to his advantage and thereby he may have contributed to the more than three-fold multiplication of his orig inal capital within, perhaps. one year. But if there had been no la- borers willing to be underpaid and to leave profits in his hands. if he had to work alone, he would in spite of his original capital not be able to realize an income therefrom larger than, perhaps $l,00o within one year, which he most probably would consume for his own livelihood.
 Suppose, furthermore, that he does not superlntend his factory or business himself, but employs the best possible superintendent at d high salary-a way in which to-day most large factories are run-his clear profit would hardly be less. The superintendent would grind out of his laborers that additional salary to insinuate himself with his em- ployer. The last claim that the en- ployer had earHed the ever repeated increase of his capital would fall to the ground. Here is the naked fact that capital Is dishonesty acquired, because it pretends to increase itself, while 1t cannot increase except through the unpaid portion, of the labor of other folks.
 That fact is even more evident